1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mirror angle control apparatus and a power mirror system having the same.
2. Description of Related Art
One type of power mirror system (also referred to as a power side mirror system or simply referred to as a power side mirror) arranged at a door of a vehicle has a mirror angle control apparatus that tilts a mirror (i.e., a mirror plate) in a vertical direction and also in a horizontal direction.
The mirror angle control apparatus includes a vertical angle adjuster and a horizontal angle adjuster. The vertical angle adjuster tilts the mirror in the vertical direction. The horizontal angle adjuster tilts the mirror in the horizontal direction. This type of mirror angle control apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 6-49199 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 6-32194.
In the above mirror angle control apparatus, one motor is provided in the vertical angle adjuster, and another motor is provided in the horizontal angle adjuster. The mirror is tilted in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction by separately controlling the motors.
Thus, in the above mirror angle control apparatus, the two motors are provided in the vertical angle adjuster and the horizontal angle adjuster, respectively. This arrangement creates difficulties in size reduction and weight reduction of the mirror angle control apparatus and thus of the power mirror system. Furthermore, this arrangement causes an increase in the number of the components and also an increase in manufacturing costs.